


Notes to Befriend Lee Jaehwan

by tuberc-leo-fics (lourthor)



Series: Leo in a Strange Land series [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Friendship, Gen, other Vixx members make an appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:05:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lourthor/pseuds/tuberc-leo-fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“People tend to know when idols are in their classes,” Taekwoon responded dryly. Jaehwan pouted at him over his cup, so Taekwoon responded with a soft smile. “Besides, I’m a fan.”<br/>“Are you really?” Jaehwan asked hopefully as he placed his cup down on the table in front of him.<br/>“Would you like me to take out my Starlight membership card and show you?”</p>
<p>Jaehwan misses a lot of classes due to his crazy schedule, and Taekwoon takes notes for him. Slowly, they start becoming friends. A Leo in a Strange Land story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Notes to Befriend Lee Jaehwan

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven’t read Take me Back, you don’t need to to understand the basics of this story. Just know that Leo woke up in a world where he wasn’t part of Vixx. However, if you want to understand his struggle and a few of the references in this story, I recommend reading it.

_Previously:_

_When he arrived at school and sat down in one of the desks in the lecture hall of his first class, he felt settled and ready for this next adventure. It was almost time for class to start when Taekwoon heard someone’s shoes squeak on the floor as they rushed through the door. He turned around slightly and saw Jaehwan unshouldering his bag as he found a seat in one of the middle rows._

 

_That final piece clicked in place and Taekwoon smiled as he turned around, away from where Jaehwan was taking out a notebook and several pens from his backpack. And for the first time since he arrive in this world, he felt truly content._

\--

 

Jaehwan was missing from class again. Taekwoon knew the life, knew that idols missed too many classes and were given allowances for special circumstances, but there was something about sitting in on all the classes and seeing someone else miss them that made the absences seem greater than they were. It didn’t help that Taekwoon knew Jaehwan, knew how Jaehwan struggled with theory and studied in the dim light of passing streetlights when in the back of the car. Jaehwan was smart, and a talented musician, but his brain was not built for theory.

 

Before he even registered what he was doing, Taekwoon’s hand had reached around his seat and entered his bag hanging from the back of his chair, grabbing a sheet of paper and a few colored pens in order to take notes on material he had absorbed years ago. It was difficult to write legibly, as Taekwoon had a tendency to make a mess of his own notes, but Jaehwan would need the help, and Taekwoon could give that to him.

 

Jaehwan was missing the next class as well, probably for some interview that couldn’t be worked around, making it 4 absences in 3 weeks, so Taekwoon took notes again, making sure to organize them from the beginning of the lesson. He had two different colored pens he thought looked pretty when put to paper, and would alternate colors for main points and sub points, underlining and boxing different words of importance. Taekwoon was never this organized for his own notes or schoolwork.

 

When Taekwoon got home from school, after eating a quiet dinner with his mom, he went back through the music theory book and started writing notes on the material Jaehwan missed the past several weeks. Taekwoon added his own thoughts and hints in the margins of the notes, things that the book didn’t explain well, or didn’t explain at all, but that Taekwoon learned through experience and long discussions with his previous professor, when he had the time to do so.

 

Taekwoon was running late his next Music Theory class. He was talking to his academic advisor about his topic for his thesis and lost track of time. He was lucky his advisor’s office was in the same building as his next class. He slipped through the door at the back of the classroom right as the professor started talking, and lowered himself into one of the seats at the back of the room, nodding to his professor in acknowledgement. He swung his bag onto his lap and reached inside to grab a pen and paper when he noticed a familiar head two rows in front of him. Slowly, he drew his hand back and hugged his bag to his stomach, just staring at the slightly damaged hair of his once member.

 

_So he finally came,_ Taekwoon thought to himself, glad to see even a small part of Jaehwan again.

 

\--

 

When class finished, Taekwoon was stumped on how to actually give Jaehwan his notes. As he was standing up to go over and talk to him, Jaehwan had suddenly stood up and was walking quickly to the back of the room, seemingly intent to get out of there as soon as possible. When he was even with the back row of seats, Taekwoon strode to the aisle and grabbed Jaehwan’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

 

Jaehwan looked slightly panicked as their eyes met, but he was smiling as he asked “is there something I can help you with?”

 

Taekwoon nodded and reached into his bag, grabbing the notes he had been writing for the past week or so. He glanced through them to make sure he had every page, then passed them to Jaehwan.

 

“Here,” he said, once more glancing at Jaehwan’s confused face.

 

“What is this?” he asked, as he looked down to the sheets of paper in his hand.

 

“Um,” Taekwoon hummed before speaking again, “I noticed you’ve been gone for several classes, so I took notes for you.” Jaehwan looked up at him from where he was examining the notes. “There are notes from the days you missed. I thought it would be easier than just reading from the book. It’s not very thorough.”

 

Jaehwan shook his head as he hugged the notes closer to his chest. “You really did not have to do that.”

 

Taekwoon shrugged and looked at the bags under Jaehwan’s eyes, heavy with lack of sleep. There was a light shadow of old eyeliner still clinging to the edges of his eyes, hastily wiped away between performances, practices, and classes.

 

“I know, but I wanted to. It gives me something to do during class,” Taekwoon said.

 

Jaehwan’s phone vibrated from somewhere in his bag, and he grinned slowly at Taekwoon, edges of his mouth pulling up in an embarrassed smile. “I really need to run, but thank you so much!” He started walking backwards out the door, waving to Taekwoon. “I’ll buy you coffee sometime.” He turned around and walked quickly out of the building, leaving Taekwoon to feel like a whirlwind had just passed by.

 

“Bye,” Taekwoon said to himself, staring at the back of his once friend as he shouldered his bag and proceeded to exit the building before heading home.

 

\--

 

The next class, it was Jaehwan who slid into class late, the back of his hair messy from a combination of old hair gel and sleeping in the back of the car. Taekwoon was once again sitting in the back of the classroom, and looked back when he heard the door creak as it opened. Jaehwan slipped in before trying to shut the door as noiselessly as possible, but still somehow making it sound like a bang. He grinned at Taekwoon and then slid in to the available seat next to him. Once he was settled, he reached into his bag for a notebook and a pen, then started to take notes.

 

Halfway through the class, a sheet of paper appeared on his desk, the perpetrator’s hand sliding back to his own desk as if nothing had happened. Taekwoon turned his head slightly to stare at Jaehwan, but only got a mock frown in return as he gestured to the paper on Taekwoon’s desk.

 

Taekwoon reached for the paper with his long fingers and unfolded it, reading the words that stared up at him.

 

_Are you bored? You’re just staring at the board and not doing anything ^_^_

Taekwoon sighed but reached into his bag to find a pen, coming up with a pink one he had bought specifically to organize and annotate Jaehwan’s notes.

 

_I already know all of this, but it’s a required class for all MA students_

He folded the note into a small triangle and passed it back to Jaehwan, eyes not leaving the board at the front of the room. Somehow, he could feel the excitement coming from Jaehwan as he picked up the note and read it, immediately putting his pen back on the paper to write a response.

 

Taekwoon smiled to himself when the note made its way back to his desk.

 

_Ooh! So smart? You’ll have to teach me then 6.6 Are you free after class today?_

_I am. Why?_

_Coffee! I’ll buy you some_ _≧ω≦_

_Okay_

As Taekwoon passed Jaehwan his answer, he turned to stare at him, noting his excited face as he read the note, tired eyes lighting up at the thought of hanging out with Taekwoon. It was a strange thing to see on Jaehwan’s face, slightly more tired and gaunt than his own Jaehwan’s, but he was glad that he could do something to make him happy.

 

When class ended, the two of them packed up, Jaehwan chatting about anything and everything while Taekwoon silently put his pen back in his bag before he slung it around his shoulder and put his hands in his pockets.

 

“Come on,” Jaehwan said, pulling at Taekwoon’s bicep. “There’s a coffee shop a couple blocks away from here that is super delicious. You’ll die.” He let go of Taekwoon’s arm when they made it outside and started walking, Taekwoon easily matching his strides and letting Jaehwan chat at him as they walked to the shop.

 

The shop they arrived at was quiet, a few people sitting and chatting with their friends, and more working on their laptops, but the atmosphere was lively. The walls were painted bright pinks, greens, and blues, with soft chairs in contrasting colors spread through the broad space. As soon as the door was opened, Taekwoon breathed in the scent of ground coffee beans and relaxed as the cool air from the inside reached him.

 

The worker at the register greeted them as they walked up to the counter, voice bright as she asked what she could do to help them. Jaehwan rattled off his order quickly, surprising Taekwoon when he ordered coffee. The Jaehwan Taekwoon used to know would never order coffee, preferring green tea flavored drinks, and anything sweet. He had no taste for coffee.

 

Taekwoon looked up when he realized that both the worker and Jaehwan were staring at him, and he felt himself blush as he realized that they were waiting on his order.

 

“Could I have a large latte?” Taekwoon asked the worker.

 

She nodded her head before responding, “Of course. Can I have a name for your order? We’ll call you when it’s ready.”

 

“It’s Taekwoon.”

 

As they found their way to an empty table, slightly removed from the larger groups of students chatting together as they did work or played on their phones, Jaehwan spoke again.

 

“So, your name is Taekwoon?” Taekwoon turned to stare at Jaehwan with a raised eyebrow before nodding his head as he realized that Jaehwan didn’t know his name.

 

“That’s right. And you are Jaehwan,” Taekwoon said as they sat across from each other in comfortable chairs, a small table between them.

 

Jaehwan nodded. “You know me?” he asked with a grin. He glanced at Taekwoon as he sat, one leg crossed over the other with his coffee cup was grasped between two hands and propped on one knee.

 

“People tend to know when idols are in their classes,” Taekwoon responded dryly. Jaehwan pouted at him over his cup, so Taekwoon responded with a soft smile. “Besides, I’m a fan.”

 

“Are you really?” Jaehwan asked hopefully as he placed his cup down on the table in front of him.

 

“Would you like me to take out my Starlight membership card and show you?”

 

Jaehwan laughed, delighted. “No, that is really not necessary. It’s just difficult to find male fans of boy groups. When they do exist, they tend to be a bit… younger.” He laughed again to show that he was playing around with him.

 

“It’s okay,” Taekwoon said. “I know. Fans tend to look at me a bit strangely.”

 

“Ah!” Jaehwan suddenly shouted, causing several people in the shop to turn their heads and glance at the disturbance and Taekwoon to fumble his cup, coming very close to spilling coffee on his pants. “I was wondering why you looked a little bit familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. I thought that I must have seen you around campus before or hanging in the music building, but that isn’t it, is it? You came to a fansign one time. We talked about it afterwards because usually those are all girls and you were a handsome boy around our age. We were super touched.”

 

Taekwoon grimaced slightly at the thought that his former members were talking about him, but nodded anyway in answer to Jaehwan’s unasked question. “Yeah, that was me. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

 

“So you’re a music major, Taekwoon-hyung?” Jaehwan asked him, leaning forward slightly to talk over the table.

 

Taekwoon nodded in response. “Yeah. I’m actually just returning to school this year to get my MA. I used to work at a company, but quit late last year. It… really was not for me. I like composing more.”

 

“Wow that must be why you are so good at theory. You need to know all that stuff to compose. Have I thanked you enough yet for those notes? Because you are about to save my life in this class.”

 

Taekwoon shifted in his chair uncomfortably. He couldn’t tell him that he knew he would need help, or that he didn’t trust him to be able to catch up on material he missed in class by himself. As far as Jaehwan knew, they didn’t know each other at all.

 

“It wasn’t a problem,” Taekwoon finally responded. “I noticed you were gone from class a couple of days and started to worry about you. You are really busy as an idol, so I thought I should help you by doing what I could. It really was nothing.”

 

“Well, thanks for nothing, then,” Jaehwan said, laughing at his own joke. Taekwoon gave a small chuckle too, glancing at Jaehwan’s happy face with slight adoration. It was nice to see him smile and laugh in person. Video was never enough.

 

They chatted for a bit longer, sticking to topics relating to music, and their conversation naturally migrated to singing.

 

“Do you sing, hyung?” Jaehwan asked curiously. “You have a nice speaking voice, so I’m sure you have a nice singing voice too.”

 

Taekwoon could feel himself flush slightly at the compliment, cheeks heating up and his ears warm. “I… thank you. Yeah, I… enjoy singing. It’s nice…” He trailed off at the end of the broken sentence, unsure how to continue. His passion for singing was not something he could easily express, but Jaehwan seemed to understand anyway.

 

“What do you like to sing at karaoke? I like ballads and r&b. They’re fun to sing.”

 

“I don’t really go to karaoke often, but I sing at a bar sometimes. And at home.”

 

Jaehwan’s eyes widened and he smiled wider than he had all evening. “Well, if you sing at a bar then you must be good. They pay you?” At Taekwoon’s nod, he continued, excitedly. “Then you must be great. You should sing for me.”

 

Taekwoon waited for there to be more to that sentence, but when there wasn’t he blanched, sensing what was coming. He knew Jaehwan too well. “What, right now?”

 

“Yup,” Jaehwan said. “No time to waste. Let me hear you sing.”

 

Taekwoon shook his head violently, trying to protest. “No, I can’t in a coffee shop like this. It’s too public.”

 

“Are you afraid to sing in public?” Jaehwan asked. Taekwoon snorted at the irony. “If you won’t sing, I’ll just start us off. You can join me.”

 

“Please no,” Taekwoon said, already halfway out of his seat when Jaehwan began to warm up his voice. He reached over the table with his long arms and tried to cover Jaehwan’s mouth with his hand, but it was swatted away.

 

“Please, Jaehwan, stop. It’s embarrassing,” Taekwoon complained, still struggling to get Jaehwan to stop. He was glad when Jaehwan stopped at his pleading.

 

“Well, fine,” Jaehwan pouted. “You’ll just have to sing for me some other time.”

 

“Okay,” Taekwoon agreed.

 

\--

 

For the next several weeks, Jaehwan was in class every day, and the two of them spent the class time passing notes until Taekwoon would scrawl with his messy handwriting on the bottom of the sheet of paper to _pay attention_ , emphasized with his fingers pointing sharply at the teacher standing in the front of the room.

 

When the first test of the semester was announced to be in two weeks, Jaehwan knew he was doomed. They were going to be tested on material learned up to that point, and Jaehwan was going to miss almost all the classes until the test due to the intense practices and activities leading up to the release of their new song.

 

“I don’t know what I am going to do,” Jaehwan complained to Taekwoon after class one day as they slowly packed their bags, but stayed seated in their row near the back. “I feel okay with what we learned so far, but not very confident. And I learn best in class. I don’t want to fail the first test.” He pouted toward Taekwoon, who rolled his eyes.

 

“I can help you, idiot,” he said, then winced at the responding shout. “I’ll take notes for you, then we can meet to study when you have time. You’ll do fine.”

 

“Thank you so much, hyung,” Jaehwan said, laying his head on Taekwoon’s shoulder cutely. “You’re the best.”

 

Taekwoon just shook him off his shoulder and stood up, grabbing at Jaehwan’s arm to make him stand up with him. “Now, go practice. I’ll talk to you later.” Taekwoon jabbed at Jaehwan’s side to make him walk out of the row of chairs, but Jaehwan still wasn’t moving.

 

“Wait,” Jaehwan said, “I don’t have your number. Give me your phone.” Taekwoon gave it to him. “This is my number,” he said as he typed into Taekwoon’s phone. “I’m texting myself so I can get your number. I’m going to text you when I have some free time so we can study, alright?”

 

Taekwoon nodded, long used to the Ken whirlwind. “I’ll see you soon. Now go practice.”

 

Jaehwan gave a quick “Bye hyung,” before he was rushing out the door, leaving Taekwoon to stare at the empty classroom before heading out himself.

 

\--

 

Slowly, their tentative communications turned into friendship. Jaehwan missed the next two classes, and Taekwoon took notes and annotated them, giving Jaehwan extra information and mnemonic devices neither the book or teacher talked about in order to help him remember the information he would need for the test.

 

Jaehwan also started texting him, mostly random things about how bored he was while he was getting his hair and makeup done, or how he was struggling learning the dance for their newest single, or about a dog he saw walking down the street that was “very cute, but also a little scary.” Taekwoon texted back as well, talking about how bored he was in school, relearning everything he knew from his previous life. He left the previous life part out, but he was bored re-taking classes he had already passed once. He also talked about his nephew, or a song he was struggling with, and Jaehwan always responded with the most ridiculous emojis and baby talk. Taekwoon appreciated it, even if he cringed a little reading them.

 

When there were four days remaining until the test, Taekwoon started to get worried that Jaehwan hadn’t contacted him so they could study together as planned. Jaehwan also hadn’t texted in 2 days, which was strange because ever since they exchanged phone numbers Jaehwan texted him at least 10 times a day.

 

_Are you alright? You’ve been quiet the past couple of days. Also, when do you want to study together?_

Taekwoon put his phone down, intent to wait for a reply, but was surprised when he got a reply right away.

 

_Sorry, hyung. You actually have great timing. We just finished filming our music video. It took three days. Are you free tonight to study?_

Taekwoon frowned when he read the message. If they had been filming for three days, which was nearly unheard of for a music video, then Jaehwan would be extremely tired.

 

_Won’t you be too tired? We can always study tomorrow once you’ve rested a while._

_No, it’s okay. I’ll just ask my manager to drop me somewhere before he drops the other kids at home. Where do you want to study?_

Taekwoon thought for a bit before answering.

 

_You can come to my house, if you don’t mind. It would be more comfortable and my mom will cook food for you._

Jaehwan didn’t text back for three minutes, making Taekwoon worry that he was too forward with his request. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly and told himself that Jaehwan was just busy and would text him when he had a chance.

 

_Okay. Where do you live?_

Taekwoon felt his shoulders drop slightly, muscles relaxing from a tenseness he didn’t realize existed until that moment. After he typed out his address and sent it, he stood up from his desk and walked into the kitchen where his mom was standing at the counter, cutting vegetables.

 

“Hey, mom?” Taekwoon called, grabbing her attention. She turned around and smiled at him as she set down the knife and wiped her hands on her apron.

 

“Oh, Taekwoon,” she said, “Dinner’s not ready yet. I just started cooking.”

 

“I know, mom,” he said as he walked over to the sink and proceeded to wash his hands, shaking them out into the sink when he couldn’t find a hand towel. His mom gave him a fond smile and handed him one from where it was resting next to the cutting board. “I came to tell you that a friend is coming over to study soon, and ask if you need any help.”

 

She grinned at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling, making her look years younger. “Of course, son. Why don’t you cut up those onions so we can start this soup?”

 

Taekwoon silently took the onions and grabbed a cutting board from the cupboard above the sink, then walked over to the table. With school and composing, it had been a while since Taekwoon had just sat down and talked with his mom, and he found that he missed it as they both chopped and chatted, exchanging facts about their day.

 

As they were just adding the last ingredients to the soup, the doorbell rang, startling Taekwoon and his mother out of their conversation.

 

“That must be your friend, Taekwoon,” his mother said, “why don’t you go say hi and I can finish up here. Alright?”

 

Taekwoon nodded and gave her a side-hug before he went to let Jaehwan in.

 

When he opened the door, Taekwoon just stared at Jaehwan. His hair was bleached blonde and numerous amounts of hair product was still keeping the hair in a rigid, parted style. The makeup that had not been wiped off yet couldn’t cover the bags and dark circles underneath his eyes. His lips were chapped in a way that showed he had not had nearly enough to drink in the past 24 hours.

 

“Hi, hyung,” Jaehwan said, smiling as wide as his aching body would allow him. “Long time no see. So, this is your house, huh?”

 

Still staring, Taekwoon nodded. “Yeah. Come on, I’ll show you my room. We can study there.”

 

Jaehwan followed him down a hallway until they reached Taekwoon’s room. Taekwoon stood awkwardly as Jaehwan looked around, staring at the minimal personal touches Taekwoon had strewn around the room. When Jaehwan made his way to the bed, he plopped down on it and immediately rolled over so he was on his back, eyes baring into the ceiling.

 

“Oh wow,” he said, “This feels so nice. I think I could stay here forever.” Jaehwan turned his head onto a pillow and curled on his side, his slippers flopping off onto the floor.

 

Taekwoon sighed. He knew that Jaehwan would be tired, but the boy looked worn-out and in no position to study for several hours.

 

“You can stay there for a couple minutes,” he said as he observed Jaehwan relaxing on his bed. “Let me go talk to my mom quickly.” Jaehwan only let out a quiet hum in recognition.

 

Taekwoon left the room and made his way back to the kitchen. It was the only other room with lights on in the house. His dad was still not home from work, even though it was nearing dinner time.

 

“Mom?” Taekwoon said as he entered. His mom was sitting at the table, glancing through her phone as she waited for the soup to finish cooking.

 

“Taekwoon, where’s your friend?” she asked as she looked up, taking in her son as he stood in the kitchen doorway alone.

 

He shrugged. “He looks pretty tired right now. He was working until now, so I might just let him rest for an hour or so before studying. Would you be okay postponing dinner until then?”

 

She gave a small frown before replying. “I’m hungry right now, so I might just eat when it’s done and then let the soup simmer on low until you two are ready to eat. That way you two can eat when I’m not here.”

 

“Mom,” Taekwoon started, trying to assure her that it would be okay to eat together.

 

“I know, Taekwoon,” she said. “It’s not a big problem. Let the poor boy rest, okay?”

 

Taekwoon nodded and she shooed him away with her hand and a promise to leave the soup on low so that they could eat whenever they wanted to.

 

When Taekwoon entered his room, he wasn’t surprised to see Jaehwan asleep and unmoving on his bed, arm thrown over his eyes to block out the light. It was a position Taekwoon had seen many idols take while waiting under the harsh lights of waiting rooms as they tried to catch up on even 15 minutes of sleep during their busy schedules.

 

Taekwoon took a blanket from the cupboard in the hall and carefully unfolded it before placing it over Jaehwan’s body, making sure it covered his shoulders and his feet. After taking care of the blanket, Taekwoon sat at his desk chair and watched Jaehwan as he mumbled softly in his sleep. After about 5 minutes of assuring that Jaehwan wasn’t going to wake up, Taekwoon turned his chair and turned on his laptop, intent to compose some while his friend got his first real sleep in 3 days.

 

\--

 

After two hours, when the sun was long down and the night had cooled to a little too cold for comfort, Taekwoon stood up from where he had been cramped in the same position composing and stretched as he walked over to close the window before turning toward the bed and gazing at Jaehwan. He had shifted a little since he laid down, one leg thrown over the other as he turned on his side, but his arm was still over his face, shielding his eyes from any stray light.

 

Taekwoon walked toward the bed and bent his upper body slowly so he could shake Jaehwan awake.

 

“Jaehwan,” he muttered softly, intent to wake him up slowly, “it’s time to get up.”

 

Jaehwan let out a loud moan from deep in his throat before he turned over so he was facing the ceiling, arm lowering slightly to rest on his chest as his eyes found Taekwoon blearily.

 

“Wha-?” he asked incoherently, not sure what was happening outside of his dreams.

 

“You should get up,” Taekwoon said softly again, “You slept for two hours.”

 

With that, Jaehwan sat up quickly, losing the sleep from his eyes as he did so. He blinked rapidly several times, making Taekwoon think of Hyuk with a kind of desperate longing, before he asked, more coherently this time, “What? Why did you let me sleep? We need to study!”

 

Taekwoon just shook his head and motioned Jaehwan to follow him, and he did with a puzzled look on his face, his feet dragging slightly behind him.

 

“Sit,” Taekwoon said when they reached the kitchen and he pointed to the table before going to the slowly simmering pot on the stove and turning it off.

 

Jaehwan watched as Taekwoon moved around the kitchen, going into cabinets to take down two bowls before going into the refrigerator and taking out several plastic containers filled with side dishes. Once everything was set on the table, he brought over the soup and set it on a trivet between them, then finally sat down. Jaehwan was quiet the entire time.

 

“Eat,” Taekwoon said, pointing toward the food on the table. Slowly, Jaehwan picked up his spoon and chopsticks and dipped the spoon into the soup, still staring at Taekwoon.

 

“You didn’t have to let me sleep, you know. We could have studied for a couple of hours then I would have napped at home.”

 

Taekwoon shook his head as he set down his spoon. “No. You looked tired. You should sleep more anyway. Besides, I promised you food.”

 

Jaehwan smiled brightly at him, then, eyes crinkling around the edges. “You’re right, hyung. Thank you.”

 

\--

 

After dinner, they studied for three hours, Taekwoon telling Jaehwan memorization tips and trying to make theory fun. He drilled him at the end of the three hours, and was happy to see that the exhausted Jaehwan got the majority of questions right.

 

“Here, Jaehwan,” Taekwoon said. “I took note of what you got wrong. Make sure to study these things, okay? Then you’ll be perfect for the test.”

 

“Seriously, thank you so much, hyung.” Jaehwan said. “I would be lost without you.”

 

Taekwoon blushed, slightly uncomfortable with the praise from someone he knew well enough previously to not need it. He changed the subject.

 

“Will you be okay getting home tonight, or would you like to stay?”

 

Jaehwan checked his phone and started a little when he glanced at the time. “Wow. Okay, let me text my manager. I know we have something tomorrow, but I have no idea what time or where, but if you are offering, it might be easier to just stay here.” He looked up at Taekwoon, then. “You are offering, right? Would you really be okay with that?”

 

Taekwoon nodded. “Yes. I’m okay with that if it will mean you get some sleep.”

 

Jaehwan gave a grateful smile before going to his messages and finding his manager. “Okay. I’m going to let him know what’s happening. Thank you, Taekwoon-hyung, seriously.”

 

While Jaehwan was texting back and forth with his manager, Taekwoon moved around his room, finding shorts and a t-shirt, and breaking out the old futon he used to sleep on before getting a bed.

 

“Here,” Taekwoon said, holding out the makeshift pajamas and a toothbrush once Jaehwan had stood up and tucked his phone into his pants.

 

“Thanks,” he said as he reached for the offered pile. “My manager is going to come pick me up at 8:15 tomorrow. I’m going to set my alarm for 7:15. You really don’t have to get up when I do.”

 

“I was planning on getting up early to go and talk with my advisor anyway. I’ll ask my mom to make you breakfast.”

 

Jaehwan opened his mouth to protest and say that he didn’t need it, but seeing the slight glare on Taekwoon’s face, he closed it and just nodded his head with a smile.

 

Once they washed up and brushed their teeth, the two slipped into their beds, said a quiet goodnight, then drifted off to sleep.

 

\--

 

Taekwoon woke up to Jaehwan’s alarm and dragged himself out of bed, staring at Jaehwan on the floor as he stretched while laying down, groaning in the back of his throat. When he saw him turn off the alarm and turn back over, Taekwoon rolled his eyes before poking at Jaehwan’s back with his foot.

 

“Get up, Jaehwan, and take a shower.”

 

“Hyung,” Jaehwan complained in a whiney voice as he slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

 

“Up. I’m going to make you some breakfast,” Taekwoon said as he walked to his door, standing in the doorway to make sure that Jaehwan was getting up before heading to the kitchen.

 

As he expected, Taekwoon’s mother was standing in the kitchen, still in her robe with slightly wet hair as she started to make breakfast.

 

“Hi Mom,” Taekwoon said as he walked over to her and gave her a quick hug.

 

“Good morning, son. You’re up earlier than usual,” she said as she put down her knife and wiped her hands briefly on her apron.

 

“My friend stayed the night, but he has to go to work soon. I wanted to make sure he got something to eat first.”

 

“I figured it was something like that. I saw some Jordan’s by the front door and knew they were definitely not yours. I’ll make him something filling.”

 

“I’m going to get him some clothes, then I’ll come help,” Taekwoon said as he walked back to his room.

 

He looked through his closet, but didn’t really find anything close to Jaehwan’s regular style, so instead he pulled out a pair of black pants he knew would fit Jaehwan because they were a little short on him, and a patterned shirt his mom bought him at some point that he never wore.

 

When he heard the shower stop, Taekwoon knocked on the bathroom door and waited until he heard Jaehwan’s voice call out a loud “Yes?”

 

“I have some clothes out here that you can change into. I also grabbed you some underwear that I swear are clean. I’m putting them on the floor out here,” Taekwoon said as he bent down and put the folded pile of clothes next to the door.

 

“Alright, thanks,” Jaehwan shouted from behind the door.

 

Taekwoon went back into the kitchen and saw his mother at the stove.

 

“Do you need any help?” he asked her as he walked over, but his mother just shooed him away and gestured to the table.

 

“It’ll be done in a couple minutes. Just set the table, then you can sit down and relax. Is your friend almost done?” she asked as she turned back to the stove.

 

Taekwoon said a quiet “yes” before moving around to set the table.

 

When Jaehwan wandered in, hair still damp but changed into the clothes Taekwoon left for him, breakfast was waiting on the table, still hot, and Taekwoon and his mother were chatting lightly about what they were planning on doing later that day.

 

“Oh! You’re here,” Taekwoon’s mother said as she spied Jaehwan standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “Come in and sit down and eat something.”

 

Jaehwan came in slowly, a little uncomfortable being in someone else’s house, but he sat down next to Taekwoon, across from Taekwoon’s mother.

 

“What’s your name, dear?” she asked him when he was piling food on his plate. “I’m afraid Taekwoon hasn’t said much besides that you are a friend of his.” She narrowed her eyes playfully at Taekwoon, who just gave a sheepish smile in response.

 

“I’m Jaehwan,” he said between bites. “I’m in Taekwoon-hyung’s theory class.”

 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I know you have to leave for work soon, so you should eat quickly. You can use my hairdryer, if you want.”

 

The three of them chatted lightly, Taekwoon’s mother carrying the conversation for the most part, talking about the plot of some drama. Taekwoon didn’t care for it, but apparently Jaehwan had seen some of the earlier episodes and was curious.

 

When they finished, Taekwoon and Jaehwan stood up to go and wash the dishes, but Taekwoon’s mom just shooed them away, saying that she would do them.

 

“Thanks, hyung,” Jaehwan said when they were back in Taekwoon’s room. Jaehwan was folding up the blankets and futon, then unplugged his phone from where it was charging. “I’ll see you at the test. I really wouldn’t have been prepared if you didn’t help me.”

 

Taekwoon just shook his head and gave a soft smile. “It’s really okay. Do you have everything?”

 

Jaehwan nodded his head before looking around the room, double checking that he couldn’t see anything that belonged to him. His phone buzzed from his hand, and he looked at it, noticing it was his manager.

 

“Well, I need to go.”

 

“Okay,” Taekwoon said. He walked with him to the door, watched as Jaehwan slid on his shoes, and waved goodbye as he walked out the door.

 

“Okay,” Taekwoon said again to himself as he locked the door and went to get ready for the day, feeling a sense of loneliness sink in as he realized that Jaehwan was meeting with the rest of the Vixx members and going to work, while Taekwoon was left by himself.

 

\--

 

It took several days to get out of the depressed mood he was in, which was nothing strange, but hadn’t happened since he went to the fanmeeting and saw his former members however many months ago. His mother noticed, but just chalked it up to him being extremely busy at school.

 

Their big test came and went, and Taekwoon was only able to give a quick nod to Jaehwan before the exam. He finished quicker than anyone else, and just left to hang out in a coffee shop. Jaehwan was busy preparing for the Vixx comeback, so they didn’t text as often as they had in the beginning, but Taekwoon felt happy every time he received a text complaining about the choreography, or a picture of a sweaty Jaehwan, giving an exaggerated pouting face.

 

Taekwoon bought the Dynamite album the day it came out, and streamed it on Naver as often as he could. This was the first Vixx comeback he knew nothing about, which was disconcerting. Even when he first woke up in this strange world, he had been preparing to comeback with Chained Up. He knew the song and the music video, but he was going in blind with Dynamite. He loved the song, but somehow a piece was missing. He was missing, and no one knew.

 

_I bought it_ , Taekwoon texted to Jaehwan and attached a picture of him holding the Dynamite album, face obstructed by the pink photobook.

 

_Wow wow wow,_ Jaehwan texted back around two hours later. _Thank you so much hyung Y_Y_

Taekwoon was too busy with school and writing his thesis to attend the first live broadcast, or their music show appearances, but when he got a call saying that his name was drawn for one of the fansigns, he made a conscious decision not to tell Jaehwan.

 

Five days after the album was released, Taekwoon was waiting outside a building with 99 other fans, waiting to be let into the room where the fansign would take place. He recognized a few of the faces from the other times he had been to Vixx events in this world, and he waved to them. They grinned back at him and greeted him by name. The group didn’t have to wait for long before they were let in, and they quickly found their seats and chatted to each other as people set up their tripods and cameras, waiting for the five members of Vixx to enter.

 

Taekwoon was near the back of the room, but he didn’t mind. He could easily see past the heads of the other fans, and he wasn’t there to take pictures. He just wanted to see them, and hear them bicker, and get his album signed. Also to surprise Jaehwan.

 

They came in about ten minutes after everyone had settled, Hyuk leading the way, walking like a princess, bending too much at the knees with a hand held up, blinking a thousand times as he waved at the audience. Wonshik and Hongbin followed, both embarrassed by Hyuk’s entrance as they found their seats. Hakyeon and Jaehwan came reeling in next, Hakyeon poking at Jaehwan’s back as Jaehwan pretended to karate chop at Hakyeon’s middle.

 

Taekwoon knew the exact moment that Jaehwan spotted him because his eyes lit up brightly and his smile got impossibly more large. Jaehwan waved in his direction, but Taekwoon just gave a small smile and combed a hand through his hair.

 

Taekwoon felt slightly bittersweet as he watched his members laugh and enjoy each other’s presence, even with Hongbin and Hakyeon getting on each other’s nerves and teasing a little too much. All of them looked happy, a little tired, but happy, and that was good enough for Taekwoon at this point.

 

When they went up to get their albums signed, Taekwoon had a sticky note prepared for Jaehwan as a little joke between the two of them. Jaehwan was fourth to sign his album, and when Taekwoon presented it to him, Jaehwan barked out a loud laugh causing everyone to stare at him.

 

“Seriously, hyung?” he asked him, raising an eyebrow at Taekwoon. Taekwoon just shrugged at him and pointed sharply at the post-it note, wanting Jaehwan to answer his question.

 

_What is the correct spelling of a C-flat fully diminished seventh chord in third inversion?_

  1. a) Bbb, Cb, Ebb, Gb
  2. b) Bbbb, Cb, Ebb, Gbb
  3. c) Bbb, Cb, Eb, Gbb
  4. d) Cb, Ebb, Gbb, Bbbb



Jaehwan didn’t even hesitate when he circled b). He gave a proud look to Taekwoon as he watched him circle his answer. Taekwoon responded with a small smile and nod of his head, which Jaehwan responded to with a grin. He half stood up from his chair, opening his arms as he beckoned Taekwoon to give him a quick hug. Taekwoon quickly wrapped his arms around Jaehwan ribcage, face pressed into his shoulder. The hug only lasted a second, but upon letting go, the two grinned at each other. Taekwoon took the post-it off his cd and handed it to Hakyeon who had been watching the two with narrowed eyes while Jaehwan moved on to the next fan.

 

“So, you’re Taekwoon, huh?” Hakyeon asked him quietly as he signed his album. Taekwoon gave a small nod as Hakyeon sized him up before smiling at him. “Thank you for coming.”

 

Taekwoon returned to his seat and just sat quietly, not really paying attention to the rest of the fanmeeting.

 

\--

 

 Jaehwan continued to miss some of his classes, and Taekwoon continued to take detailed notes for him. The two had developed a new routine. Anytime Jaehwan was in class and had time afterwards, the two of them would go to their favorite coffee shop near the school and just talk about random things. When he missed a lot of classes, Taekwoon would invite him over and would help him catch up by studying with him. Slowly, they had developed a close relationship, different than the one they had when Taekwoon was a part of Vixx in his world.

 

During one of their coffee sessions toward the end of the semester, Taekwoon noticed the dark circles under Jaehwan’s eyes and the slightly gaunt cast to his cheeks. Apparently, Jaehwan and the rest of Vixx had been working hard preparing for a Japanese comeback and concert tour, as well as a Chinese dance show. Especially with the end of school coming ever closer, he looked like he needed a break.

 

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon interrupted Jaehwan in the middle of a sentence. Jaehwan just stared at him with his mouth half open, words caught in his throat. His hand was up in an aborted movement, unsure if it should continue or not before slowly floating down to rest on Jaehwan’s knee.

 

“Yeah, hyung,” he replied after a few seconds. “Just tired, you know?”

 

Taekwoon knew how tired an idol could get, but he couldn’t commiserate with this Jaehwan.

 

“Do you want to go sleep?” Taekwoon asked instead, concerned for Jaehwan’s health. He was actually one of the healthiest Vixx members and rarely got even a cold, but in this world he had to do double duty as the only main vocalist.

 

“Nah, I’m fine,” Jaehwan said with a small smile. “Besides, I have to go practice in, like, an hour and a half. No time to sleep.”

 

Taekwoon frowned. Even half an hour would do him some good. “Jaehwan..” he started, a warning tone to his voice.

 

“It’s just, hard, hyung,” Jaehwan said, voice breaking a little on the word hard. There were no tears in his eyes, but he cleared his throat a few times before continuing, trying to find some stability. “We’re doing so much right now and I can’t afford to slip on any part of my life, but,” another clearing of his throat, “it’s a lot. A lot of work. Not sure how I’m going to find enough time for everything.” He rubbed his nose a few times with the back of his hand.

 

Taekwoon just looked on in silence, his heart hurting at the sight of Jaehwan’s pain, and the pressure piled on his shoulders. Taekwoon had been there, but it was harder for him to hide his emotions than Jaehwan, and somehow that made a difference. Of course, he had seen his Jaehwan cry before, but it was quite rare. Somehow, at some point, Jaehwan had become one of the most emotionally strong members, even with his joking personality. Seeing this Jaehwan on the verge of breaking was difficult. It took a lot to get him to this point.

 

“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon said slowly as he looked at him, watching Jaehwan as he stared at the floor, hands folded neatly on his lap, vastly different from his usually constantly moving friend. “Look at me.”

 

Jaehwan looked up at him, eyes meeting over the small table in front of them. He sucked snot into his nose once, but Taekwoon didn’t pay attention to that and instead just stared into Jaehwan’s eyes.

 

“You can do this. Your fans love you, and you have been doing well so far. It might seem bleak right now, but if you need support, need anything at all, just know that you can count on me.”

 

Taekwoon said his small speech quietly, but there was a tone of conviction, showing that he meant every word that he was saying. Jaehwan stared at him for a few seconds after he had finished before smiling. It didn’t quite meet his eyes, but somehow it made his face look less tired, the shadows under his eyes crinkling into nothingness.

 

“Wow, so serious, hyung,” Jaehwan said, attempting to lessen the solemn atmosphere with a joke. Taekwoon just gave a small smile back and didn’t push any farther, allowing Jaehwan to take control of the conversation back.

 

“You know, hyung,” Jaehwan started, a mischievous glint forming in his eye that Taekwoon did not like. He knew what came after that appeared. “When I first met you, you told me you could sing, but I still haven’t heard your voice. You should sing for me.” Jaehwan turned his puppy eyes toward Taekwoon.

 

“No.” Taekwoon said, turning his face away as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“Oh, come on,” Jaehwan said, whining slightly at the back of his throat. “You just said that you would do anything to support me, and I would feel a lot better if you sang me something.”

 

“Didn’t you say that you had practice soon? You should go before you’re late.”

 

Jaehwan pouted but huffed out a “fine” before grabbing his stuff and standing up, taking his green tea latte with him.

 

“Someday,” he called back to Taekwoon as he was walking away, “I am going to hear you sing.”

 

Taekwoon just rolled his eyes and opened his book, intent to get some work done before he went home.

 

\--

 

Jaehwan and Taekwoon could only meet once more before the day of their final exam, but they didn’t really talk about anything but school. Jaehwan had a rare day off from filming, so they spent half the day studying and reviewing material they learned throughout the class. It appeared to have paid off because about two weeks after the end of the semester, Taekwoon received a text from Jaehwan screaming about how he passed with a high grade and how was that possible.

 

_You worked hard,_ Taekwoon texted him. _You deserve that A._

_You are so right ^o^ I have never studied so hard in my life._

_Are you busy right now?_ Taekwoon asked him, curious as to what Jaehwan was doing.

 

_No, just in the car. Why?_

Taekwoon sent him an mp3 before typing out another message.

 

_Listen to this. I wrote it for you._

All semester long, ever since he became friends with Jaehwan again, Taekwoon had been working on a song for him between his assignments for classes and other personal projects. It took forever to get it to the point where he was happy with how it sounded, and to write lyrics that fit their friendship and what Taekwoon felt for Jaehwan, but after deliberating for several days over the newest version, he decided to just send it to him.

 

It was a tense three minutes to wait while Jaehwan listened to the song, so Taekwoon just sat on his bed, fiddling with his phone case, waiting for a response. He was startled when his phone lit up finally.

 

_omg, hyung. Why would you do this? I’m crying in the car and everyone is looking at me. Fuck._

Taekwoon frowned. He sent back several question marks and an _I’m sorry_ message. The next message from Jaehwan came quickly.

 

_No no no. I’ve been busy and no one has written me a song before and your voice just sounds so beautiful and everything hit me at once and why are you such a good friend to me?_

While Taekwoon was typing out a response, another message came.

 

_Don’t answer that. I’m just so thankful for everything you did for me this semester. Seriously. You were like my guardian angel._

_Angel Taekwoon._

_That’s what I should save you as on my phone._

Taekwoon rolled his eyes, still a little alarmed at the crying, but glad that Jaehwan was making jokes.

 

_Please don’t save me as Angel Taekwoon._

_Sorry, it’s already done. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to change at this point._

Taekwoon scoffed, but knew that Jaehwan was not going to change the name no matter what he said or did to try and convince him.

 

_Hey, you should meet the members sometime. They’ve been asking about you recently._

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring at the words on his screen until it went black. He opened his phone again, and with shaking fingers typed out a response.

 

_okay._

He threw his phone onto his bed, then smiled.

 

Okay.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So, what did you think? Let me know in the comments section. This series is going to be continued, and I have 2 stories planned for it so far. If you have any other ideas, let me know in the comments section here or message me on tumblr.  
> My writing blog: tuberc-leo-fics  
> My Vixx blog: leothevixxn


End file.
